May 21, 2013 AT 12:00 am

Face detection to stores and streets for $40 a month

what if stores could count patrons automatically, tallying up basic demographic data through a webcam installed at the register?

That’s what New York-based IMRSV is trying to do with Cara, cheap face detection software that can scan faces up to 25 feet away and determine age and gender with around 90 percent accuracy using a standard webcam. The technology can be used in stores, advertising, and art exhibits.